Biting Into A Snake Business (Cinder)

[Ephraim]

70th Summer 511 AV It was hot, way too hot even for Ephraim. At least for him in his cloak but there was no way in hell he would take it off. It was like a second skin to him. The half-breed was sitting on a bench next to a road in the outskirts of Ravok. The beach was empty with only one forgotten and broken boat rocking in the water. Eph sniffed the air, there was no stench of canals here, nor the dour of fish and human sweat. Just a clear air and humid taste of forest swelling in nostrils. Ephraim sneezed. He was waiting for his contact to come by. There was a rumor in town, somewhere wanted to hire a skilled thief. Eph wasn't the best there was but often compensated with his daredevil nature and took contracts others wouldn't touch. In truth he would agree to steal pants from Rhysol if the pay was good. Ephraim yawned. No one was around and he was getting nervous, then something appeared, coming from Ravok. The shape took a look of a man but Eph immediately saw there was something off. The way he walked, the color of his skin as the human approached...No, not a human. Maybe this was his contact? No...Impossible, the contact was supposed to be a human. Maybe a mixed blood, like him? A strange feeling crept up the half-blood's spine and traveled to his head. The the man rose his head and Ephraim could see red eyes and slitted pupils. Blood froze in his veins and heart missed a beat even before the rational part of the mixed blood's mind understood what the man before him was. Without his will, Eph's lips formed in one word “Dhani...” as he rose from the bench. There was a fascination and dread in this one sound. Despite being a half-blood Eph had never known his father. Even more, he hadn't known any Dhani before. All the strange things in his body were always interpreted by his mother and her human culture. What was a full blooded Dhani doing here? Maybe he was a half-breed? Many mistook Eph for a Dhani which made him go crazy with rage every time. He still remembered that one brute calling him 'snake piss'. Eph took slowly a step back with his yellow eyes still glued to the creature before him. His nostrils flared, like he was trying to smell intentions this Dhani or half-blood had. Maybe he could shapeshift into the snake? Eph began to tremble...He hated snakes; they were absolutely abhorring to him; disgusting. It never got through to Ephraim he shared some kinship with this species, even if only with half of his bloodline. Snakes were terrible, terrible creatures, period. Unconsciously, Ephraim hissed as a warning sign for the other man not to come any closer. Dhani half-breeds were rare, very rare. Many didn't suspect it was possible given the biological differences between these two species, but the gods worked mysterious ways and apparently there was another one in the city of Ravok. Eph still didn't want to think about the possibility it was indeed a full blooded member of his kind with ability to change into a form of a reptile. Snakes...Ugh.